SPEAK UP: Can you fight what needs fighting and seek joy?

An open thread

Last week, we ran a two-parter with the brilliant Rebecca Solnit. In our interviews, she raised the question of whether it is possible both to fight for a better world and take time to smell the roses. Does the fight for justice have space for pleasure and joy?

Many on the internet felt strongly about it all. Some took issue with the idea of joy in movements when everything feels so dire. Can there be laughter after Gaza?, one person asked. Others said that the direness makes the joy all the more vital.

We want to know what you think. Is there space for joy, for the pleasures of everyday life, in dark times? How do you find and make that space? Tell us your experience.

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Rebecca Solnit wants a joyous, inviting left — not an angry, Puritanical one

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